Funeral Laments
At some stage in both funeral ceremonies laments for the dead may be sung or said which consist of sentences praising the virtues of the deceased and recounting incidents of his or her life. To these sentences the same term kwarzam is applied which is used for the words and clauses of the prayers. I am not certain at what stage of the proceedings the recital of these laments takes place, but it is certainly after the killing of the buffaloes, probably in many cases during the general wailing round the buffalo and the remains. At the second funeral of a male, however, I believe that the lament is recited during the dancing.
I did not succeed in obtaining any examples during my visit, but soon after my departure Samuel sent me two laments, one composed by Teitnir (52) and uttered by him at the second funeral ceremony for his wife Tersveli. The [[385]]other was also composed by Teitnir for the first funeral ceremony of Pidrvan (9) of Kars.
The Toda name for these laments is kunedstkin or kunedsti, and certain men have great reputations as composers both for funerals and on other occasions, and Teitnir was one of these. The following is the lament for Tersveli:—
Iza O kûgh woman ia,[12] oh! iza O kutei, woman, atâth not born before atia, you were born, pervoth renowned perpia, you were born, pûv flower îrsimitch lime ia oh! pûv flower elet (a bush) ia, oh! kavath proper husband (?) kud found katethik, you married, patath proper wife kud found patiathenk, I married, tevukhk (kwarzam of Piedr) to nurs beautiful îr buffalo notei looked kadrthenk, I gave, âtthkark (kwarzam of Kuudr) to nurs beautiful mokh woman notei looked patiathenk, I married, kuteia built mun house kutenathuk, we built, kokiji[13] imitation bracelets kis made narsiathûk we played, kûter imitation buffalo horns kis made narsiathûk, we played, âr six mokh children puchiathûk, we would produce, âr six îr buffalo tû pen odethûk, we would enjoy, orppasan (?) liberal oithîk you were, pudrkwadr umbrella tree ners shade oithîk, you were, irom we will live ed that ithotkûk, we thought, pukkom we will go together ed that peithûk, we went, kalav strong îr buffalo kadathûk, we bought, pûa ? tadri pole pusiathûk we beat, tudm fine athi it is ed that kadrtethûk, we gave, udi have athi it is ed that kadrtethûk, we gave, kutei ath built kotei bungalow peithûk, we went, keirtith running waters keir reservoir peithûk, we went, ö seven katcheri courts (law) peithûk, we went, ö seven kapel ships peithûk we went, pedrk Tamil to muri complaints ituthûk, we spoke, pash words it spoke [[386]]pudth prize kisthûk we won (made), pudth prize it spoke pudth prize kisthûk, we won, ûkudrem we will not be shaken ed that thûk, we said, kan eye udjem we will not fear ed that thûk, we said, mûn face ânem ? ed that thûk, we said, en me it here puchvînia, keep you went, en me it here pîshvînia, leave you went, purs right kan eye nîr water pîrevînen, I shed, purs right metûvi nostril kurseivînen, I smart, patnenk I bewailed kanânen, I could not find, pesoduthenk I called out kanânen, I could not find, enk to me ud one swâmi god aivînen.[14] I have.
The free translation of this is as follows:—
“O woman of wonderful birth, renowned were you born, O flower, lime, O flower, tree. Having found a proper husband you married; having found a proper wife I married. I gave my best buffalo to Piedr for you. I took you as a beauty to Kuudr. A house we built, bracelets and buffalo horns we made in sport. I thought we should have had many children and many buffaloes should we have enjoyed. Liberal you were and refreshing like the shade of the umbrella tree. We thought that we should live long. We went together as we willed. We bought strong buffaloes and we prevailed over injustice. Peacefully we paid our fine. We lent to those that had not. We went to see the bungalows and the reservoir. Many courts we visited and ships also. We laid complaints before the native magistrate; we made bets and we won. We said that we would not be shaken and would fear the eye of no one. We thought to live together, but you have left me alone, you have forsaken me. My right eye sheds tears, my right nostril smarts with sorrow. I bewailed but could not find you. I called out for you and could not find you. There is one God for me.”
This translation is based partly on the literal meanings of the kwarzam, partly on explanations and renderings given to Samuel by Teitnir. The dead wife was a Piedr woman and the husband a Kuudr man. The mention of injustice refers [[387]]to trouble which arose when other men wished to take his wife from Teitnir. The visits to bungalows, &c., probably refers to a time when Teitnir and his wife lived in Ootacamund under the protection of the Zenana Mission. The ships must be purely imaginary on Teitnir’s part, unless he is referring to boats on the lake at Ootacamund. The numbers six and seven are those generally used for ‘many’ under ordinary conditions, and there is a clause towards the end which probably refers to the evil eye. Teitnir was under, or pretended to be under, missionary influence, and his reference to “one God” at the end is certainly due to this.
The following is the lament composed by Teitnir for Pidrvan:—
Epukers Kwarzam of maiir ia! oh! elipukers kwarzam of maiir ia! oh! Pedth rattan tedshk ring îr buffalo ia! oh! Pekh ? kudeik ? kinim plate ia! oh! peivalei ? muk ? ia! oh! keiveli necklace mêdr neck ia! oh! kapasth trousers kal leg ia! oh! kûdukatith car kûdr horn ia! oh! âna elephant metu foot ia! oh! arshan European mudr walk ia! oh! etamâv sambhar ia! oh! nurs beautiful îrk buffalo to kan eye âkithenk, I kept, kalochikum old woman to (?) ed that thînk, they said, kalòlkum old man to (?) ed that thînk they said, inâtvidshti kwarzam of inâtvan, Kars clan, iza O kâra chief ö seven vûr village kada, chief, pûrvunkâra! conqueror oh! pudrvantol[15] peace-loving man ia! oh! kavatkâra! strong man oh! Kavanadi Kavanadi pali dairy put carried oia! oh! tû pen vut carried tüli posts ia! oh! atâth not born before ud one atithîk, you were born, pervoth renowned ud one pertithîk, you were born, pûa ? kûtm council paneithîk you held, saver money fine òkithîk, you imposed, ter buffalo fine ud one òlk man to edstethîk you told, mokh girl ud one òlk to man kisethîk, you made, maiîr barren buffaloes kodtk in the midst peithîk, you went, pîrer buffalo nòdik to the neck peithîk you went, [[388]]pudr chosen number òdichi beat peithîk, you went, pan chosen number ertevîthîk, you ran before, kal leg òt dance òdithîk you danced peiveli ? pileidik ? ninth your ud one kalvi new things kisethîk, you made, ninth your ud one kek invention kisethîk, you made, id to-day kan eye mûn face âvini, I saw, Kars Kars kazun kazun podstha? has it come? parsners kwarzam of kazun podstha? has it come? methkûdis burning-place at mai ashes kooisivini heaped, âzâratrs azaram at kargh grass patevini.[16] grew up.
The first part of this lament begins with the kwarzam of the maiir, or barren buffalo, slaughtered at the funeral. It is not quite clear which of the clauses at the beginning refer to the buffalo and which to the man. I do not know the meaning of the second clause. The free rendering of the third and fourth was said to be, “Your horns crept so well; your horns crept well to the front.” The general sense of the other clauses was said to be as follows: “O, your leg like trousers, your horns like a car, your foot is like that of an elephant, you walk with a step like a European soldier, your appearance is like that of a sambhar. I saw you were the most beautiful buffalo of all.” It seems probable that the lament so far refers altogether to the buffalo. Then follows, “They said that you would be the parent of the dead, but now you are dead yourself”; or, “When old people are yet alive, why are young ones taken?” Then follows the kwarzam of the Kars clan, and the rest obviously refers to Pidrvan himself: “O chief of many villages, conqueror, peace-loving and yet strong man. You were like Kavanadi, who carried the posts of the buffalo-pen.[17] O man of wonderful birth, renowned you were born; you held councils; you fined some by money and some by buffaloes; you settled who should marry the women. In [[389]]the midst of barren buffaloes you went; you caught the throats of the buffaloes; you ran first and caught the buffaloes before the chosen men; well you danced and shouted finely; you invented new things. To-day for the last time I saw your face. Has the angel of death come to you? I see nothing but ashes in your burning-place. In your azaram place I see nothing but grass growing.”